Something to Talk About
by chickenwriter
Summary: Based on the popular Bonnie Raitt song. Happy Holidays!


Something To Talk About

_A/N: In my story, the maids came with them to San Francisco...So don't complain that the maids were not really there, I wanted them to be there. . ._ _Does that make this slightly A/U?_ _Also, I moved the wango scene to later._

_**Summery: It took a rumor spread between ladies maids to make them wonder if there was something going on between them. C&J oneshot.**_

"Joseph, I'll need you to pick up Amelia at exactly 1:00. We cannot afford to be late." Queen Clarisse was facing away from her head of security, babbling about meeting the Prime Minister for tea that afternoon at 2:00. Amelia needed to get to know him personally. After all, she would be working directly with him in just a few years. He was around for the state dinner, and for the Independence Day Ball, so he had simply stayed in America, planning to return to Genovia the day after the ball, which was tomorrow. Mia had told Clarisse she would think about the crown, after her _no, yes, no, yes_ attitude in recent days.

"Yes, Your majesty." He nodded and began to walk away.

"Joseph..." She called after him, a warning carried upon her voice.

"Clarisse." He corrected himself. She turned to him and looked into his eyes. Suddenly there were butterflies dancing about in her stomach, but why should she be nervous?

"Thank you." She simply smiled, stepped forward and touched his arm lightly. Behind them they could hear her ladies maids. Priscilla giggled softly, and whispered something to Olivia.

"Do you think..." Priscilla whispered quietly.

"No!" Olivia giggled. When she felt her majesty's eyes upon them she quickly shut her mouth and went back to dusting.

'_What __are__ they talking about?'_ Clarisse wondered silently. '_Me?'_ Joseph search Clarisse's face, she seemed lost in thought.

"Clarisse?" He pulled her back into his world, and she shook her head as if to remove the thoughts floating in it. "I will get Mia there on time. Don't worry."

"Oh, tush, Joseph, I never worry when I put you in charge" He could feel his face flush as she picked up his hand and squeezed it. Under his black turtleneck he was sweating furiously.

"Thank you, ma'am. I better be going." And he scurried out of the room. Clarisse turned to Olivia.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No madam, not at all." It was hard for her to suppress her laughter as she went on dusting. Clarisse shook her head and sat down at her desk to work. A thought about Joseph's turtleneck floated into her mind, then she shook it out. What was making her think about him lately? Or was it not as suddenly as she thought? Come to think of it, she always thought about Joseph, thought about all the times in a day he reached out to touch her even if just to usher her through a crowd. She loved the way his hand sat so lightly on the small of her back. Being able to feel his warmth through the silk of a dress, the cloth of a suit coat or the cotton of a tee-shirt, made her feel like the emotional and affectionate woman she had once been. "Your majesty?" Olivia prodded. "Your majesty?" Clarisse realized that her maid must have been calling for quite some time.

"Oh! Yes, Olivia, I'm terribly sorry, what is it dear?"

"Would you like some tea?"

- - -

"Olivia!" Priscilla called to her fellow ladies maid.

"Hello." She folded a towel and looked her younger charge's way. What's the news?"

"I saw them dancing today." Of course she had been referring to the amorous 'wango' Clarisse had shared with her head of security. It had been extremely sensual if Priscilla had anything to say about it.

"Dancing? How?" Olivia sounded surprised. It was not news that they would dance, she danced with Joseph frequently since the king's death.

"They were doing the Genovian Waltz/Tango thing."

"Yea, I saw Joe teaching that to the Princess. What so important about it?" How should she explain it? The queen had closed her eyes, leaned into his embrace and had been moving her hips to the beat. Her hips! A proper lady like herself lost in a tango's beat. Now _that _was news!

"She was..." Priscilla continued to explain, not knowing that Joe was standing around the corner. So the maids thought there was something going on? Of course there wasn't...was there? No...No...he shouldn't think like that. She was his queen. It was preposterous that something be going on between them. Yes, he loved her, and was not afraid to say it. Not to anyone...but to himself. She could never return his feelings. But now that he was thinking about it...she had enjoyed their dance, and what followed, quite a bit.

When he had spun her back to face him, she lay her head on his shoulder. He leaned down to kiss her head softly, finally getting his moment with the woman he had admired for so many years. To his surprise she had not pulled back. The must have danced so close for a quarter of an hour, or perhaps longer. Now the maids talked and gossiped so horribly (and yet so wonderfully) about them, if only Clarisse could hear what they were saying.

But, she _could_ hear. She had never approved of Mia spying on the maids, as she had many times before, but now she was peaking around the corner of laundry room herself, and looking appalled at them. How dare they gossip about her right in front of her? Well, they didn't know she was there , but if they had they would have shut up very fast...

When Clarisse entered the room, Olivia jabbed her friend in the side. They curtsied, mumbled their greetings and ran out. Joseph entered the room shortly after, and tapped Clarisse on the shoulder.

"Ah!" She yelped, spinning around only to realize how very close she was to him. "Oh...Joseph." _Now_ she was nervous.

"Yes...Clarisse." He nodded, stepping even closer.

"Did you hear the maids?"

"Yes." He mumbled, his face growing red once again. No one had this power over him, to make him fall apart so easily. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Well, they are talking of nothing." She didn't realize the bullet she had sen through his heart with those five words. 'They are talking of nothing.' Clarisse turned away, as if to emphasize her point.

"Clarisse?" His voice dropped. _This _was considered nothing?

"I do believe that there is nothing to worry about if nothing is _really _going on."

"Oh. . ." He couldn't muster up to courage to tell her how he really felt.

"Yes, well. I will see you later, I have a tea to attend. Is Mia. . ."

"Upstairs." He cut her off.

"Splendid, thank you, Joseph."

"You're welcome." Clarisse waited until he walked out of the room to call him back.

"Joseph?"

"Yes?" He poked his head around the corner.

"Will you be my da...escort to tea?" She had almost said date. Date?

"Of course, madam." He offered his arm and she laced hers through carefully, and he led her to the garden.

---

"Hello Amelia, Prime Minister." The group at the table stood to welcome the queen and she motioned for them to sit down. Mia looked at Joseph and raised her, now perfectly kempt, eyebrows in her confusion. Since when does her grandma bring her head of security actually _to_ tea? He was always around, but they never seemed to be 'together'.

"Your majesty. Grandma." Came the reply.

"May I present my wife, Sheila and my daughter?" Prime Minister Motaz spoke.

"Ah, Sheila, how are you?" Under the table, Clarisse reached for Joseph's hand, squeezing it lightly. He looked so nervous. He had not been prepared to even be at the tea, as Shades was the security on the job for that event. A conversation ensued throughout the table. But Clarisse had only one thought running through her mind. "Joseph, would you care for some tea?"

"Yes, Madam, thank you." He despised tea, but when Clarisse offered it, she made it sound like a fine wine.

"One or two?" Held out to him was a bowl of sugar cubes. There was no option for none, apparently, so he chose one, and accepted the milk she offered as well. Joe had always felt as if tea was not manly, but the way Clarisse was looking at him, her eyes shining in the sunlight, made him suddenly love tea.

---

Clarisse could hear the maids in the other room, talking about her again. They could at least do her a favor and talk quieter.

"I can hear you!" She shouted through the walls, rubbing her temples and placing her glasses on the table next to her. They had been discussing whether or not the queen laughed louder while around Joseph. "And I assure you, I don't" They giggled and ran out of the room. _Oops. _

"Your majesty, I need to talk to you." Joseph burst into the room, startling the queen.

"Yes, _head of security_?" He looked confused, making her sigh. "I told you to call me Clarisse."

"Yes, but madam, we need to do something about your maids." He sounded desperate.

"And what do you suppose I do? Fire them? I can't very well do that, they are very good at what they do, despite a few mishaps here and there, breaking tea cups, forgetting a few things and such, but they've been with me forever and..." He reached across the desk and placed a silencing finger over her mouth. She chuckled softly and stopped babbling.

"Forgive me, _Clarisse_, but they are driving me insane. I can not walk by them without them giggling like a couple of school girls."

"Darling," _Darling? _Joe could not believe his ears, she was letting her guard down. Tearing down the walls, if you will. "I will take care of it, I promise." She stood and walked to him, putting a soft hand on his cheek and running it down to brush across his shoulder. He did everything in his power not to shiver under her gentle touch. "In the mean time. . ." She stepped even closer, looking deep into his eyes. Her arms encircled his neck and her lips touched his in a sweet kiss. Joseph, although taken aback, returned the kiss very happily, daring himself to deepen it. When they parted, finally, Clarisse spoke.

"Now, " She paused, breathing deeply. "They have something to talk about."

"Yes they do." Joseph breathed, leaning in to kiss his queen once again.


End file.
